"𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆, 𝐒𝐈𝐑," Agent Williams looked up from his screen then directed his attention toward Fury with a quick salute.

Fury nodded his head, debating whether the news he'd received was satisfactory. "Keep me updated on her status. I want to know the exact moment something changes."

Fury dismissed the agent then exited the control room. He'd vent his frustration from the privacy of his office. Even though the girl had been tagged, the information they'd received from the tracking device had been limited. Stark had scoured the building from top to bottom and found no sign of Project Celestial or Captain Rogers.

As it had been the girl's first assignment out in the field, Fury had taken extra precautions. The addition of such newfound freedom presented temptation, and Fury didn't need the girl flying the coop. However, it looked as if he hadn't taken enough precautions. One would think that half-a-dozen tracking devices and a security detail was overkill, he'd been proven wrong, a feeling he didn't like.

Whatever virus had shut down the primary systems was no match for the Stark-made antivirus. S.H.I.E.L.D. regained control of its technology aboard the helicarrier within a matter of minutes once it had been uploaded. Once things had normalized, Fury immediately had his agents track down Project Celestial while Stark worked on tracking the hacker that had created the problem in the first place. After failing to find the captain or Wilson, he had recalled the iron-plated hero to provide aid back at the home-base.

Additionally, another department of agents had been assigned to specifically devote their time to the loose intel running rampant across the internet. Their job was to clear up the misinformation and the captain's good name... they'd had little success so far.

However, it was in their best interest to clean up the massive mess sooner rather than later. It did help that S.H.I.E.L.D. was now much smaller and lesser known after everything that had gone down with HYDRA. Although most of their supplies and resources were diminished, they still had a few nice things that worked. Or at least they did until today. Although operational, the helicarrier required numerous extensive repairs.

Fury released a tired sighed as he entered his personal office and took a seat, massaging his temples with his forefingers. He needed a solution to the problem, but none presented themselves. He considered pacing across his office, but elected to remain seated as his feet begged him to remain still. He'd done enough pacing for the next week at least. Although it wasn't evident externally, he was worried by how poorly the disaster had been handled. All of S.H.I.E.L.D. had been taken down by a single hacker. He'd sworn that a HYDRA infiltration would never again occur. However, if they couldn't handle a single hacker, how would they take on an actual threat that endangered the world?

Aside from Rogers being branded as a traitor and a fugitive from the law along with the tech issues, Fury had only grown more anxious by the delay of Project Celestial's return. She'd been sent out several hours ago and the sky had already grown dark, matching the torrent weather outside. The rain might have been soothing if it didn't serve as a constant reminder that he still had soldiers lost in the field. Just maybe he should've considered the objections of Hill and Pierce, and prolonged his test... on the other hand, he needed to see what all she was capable of doing. He was tired of the lack of results from the labs, so this was the next step in achieving answers.

Due to the tracking devices, he wasn't concerned that she'd be lost in the field; however, she was smart and adapted well which didn't always bode well. Although S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn't learned much about the girl through their various tests and screenings, these characteristics became fairly obvious after a short period of time. His scientists had studied the girl for about six years; it was worrisome how little they actually knew. He hoped some steps would be made once she returned, but it was their lack of trust for one another that kept S.H.I.E.L.D. in the dark. He trusted her as far as he could throw her, and wisely, she trusted him less. Although her distrust wasn't unwarranted considering a golden cage is still a cage and little birds needed to be free to stretch their wings.

Agent Williams burst into his office, slamming the door against the wall. He wheezed out of breath. "Sir."

"Don't you knock?"

"Sir," the agent tried again, but the gasps that begged his lungs to breathe prevented him from speaking further.

"Spit it out, Williams!" Fury barked. He crossed his arms as the agent continued to wheeze and gasp for air before pulling an inhaler from his pocket. With a quick puff, Agent Williams calmed down ever-so-slightly and was able to get more than one word out between breaths.

"We've detected movement," Agent Williams explained through choppy breaths while hunched over. "She—She's heading away from the rendezvous point."

Fury muttered a string of curses under his breath then stormed from the room. His pace quickened as he walked down the hall toward the main control room. While still out of breath, Agent Williams struggled to follow and started to fall behind. Fury glanced over his shoulder, shook his head, then made a mental note that their strategic offices would certainly need to pass some minor fitness exams in the future.

"Do we have a fixed location?" Fury asked, looking over some of the screens the second that he arrived in the room.

"Yes, sir," Hill nodded her head, turning to face him from where she'd been stationed. "She's made quite some distance."

Fury's mouth tightened with displeasure. It wasn't the plan but perhaps there was a logical explanation. He wasn't going to assume the worst, but he did need to be prepared for it. "Send Stark to extract her."

"Is that the best idea?" Pierce asked, stepping into the room from behind Hill. "She might run again if startled."

"No, but it's who we have available that could match her speed," Fury replied unwaveringly. He didn't even face Pierce's direction as he added on to his last order. "So someone send Stark the coordinates and have Barton meet him on the ground with a S.T.R.I.K.E. squadron."

A moment of silence passed. Fury slowly turned, but needed no additional words as the stern threat plastered to his face was enough for the agents to take action. Everyone knew that Fury wasn't to be trifled with when that look crossed his face. He glanced over the screens briefly before exiting the room before something else set him over the top.

He'd known that running was always a temptation that would be presented when Project Celestial embarked on her first assignment; however, he never believed she'd be rash enough to actually do it. It led him to believe that something else had happened. Perhaps her cover had simply been compromised and based on S.H.I.E.L.D. protocol she'd find a new safe house and lie low until extracted. If she kept running though... Fury would have underestimated how desperate the girl was. However, he also knew she wasn't stupid enough to pull off a stunt like this without a plan looking forward. Over all the time that she'd been studied, thoughtlessness wasn't a characteristic that she'd exhibited.

Fury closed the door to his office behind him and slowly walked up to the window overlooking the city below. The cloaking device and the clouds masked their presence from the world, but Project Celestial was one of the few that knew of their existence and exact location. He'd always known that she was a potential threat, but he'd believed that offered security was excellent persuasion to add her to his list of participants for the Crusader Initiative. However, that project was starting to look more like a file to be placed away in a cabinet than something that might actually happen.

Fury's eyes narrowed as if trying to look for the girl. He spoke to no one in particular as he muttered aloud, "What are you up to?"

———

The sky was dark, at least that's how she remembered it. A great storm in the sky, only growing more formidable with each passing second. She knew she needed shelter or somewhere to hide in the least, but the field of corn provided none of that.

Crystal's head flashed to the left as the sound of rustling made her ear twitch. Her heart beat faster, and she swore it was trying to tear itself from her chest. Her small hand floated up and pressed her hand against her chest to hold her heart in place. She no longer concentrated on the clouds circling overhead, but the sound of her own breathing and the thumping of her heart.

She slowly curled up in a fetal position, hiding below the level of the corn stalks. It wasn't very difficult considering she was only half their height when standing. At the age of six, she may have been considered a runt at a whopping three feet, two inches; however, she had no control over the memory. Everything occurred exactly as it had the day she escaped from the Labyrinth. She didn't know if that's what it was really called, but the maze of torment had rightfully earned the name.

She was six when she escaped, and only because they'd underestimated her intelligence. They didn't account that making her smarter would make her aware of how bad her situation was, nor that it would make her desperate to flee. She may have only been six years old, but she was far from the average helpless child.

Her escape had been a blur, and she was unable to remember any of the specifics as her thoughts jumbled together. She could only think about her captors that continued to pursue her, refusing to let their precious weapon leave.

The thunder that clapped and rumbled shook the ground and startled her into an upright position. She missed the first strike of lightning, but the second crackled overhead. She could feel the ends of her hair stick up from the static electricity that stained the air.

She slowly tried to back away. Her instincts told her that danger was creeping toward her, but it failed to warn her of what waited from behind. A hand reached out and grabbed her shoulder. She whirled around, and her closed fist sailed into the nose of the boy less than a year older than she. He fell back to the ground, clutching his nose in his hands to stop the blood that had started to stream down toward his lip.

"Ow!" He whined in a nasal tone. "Why'd you do that?"

"You followed me?" Her voice was a harsh whisper as she angrily punched him in the arm. "You scared me!"

He frowned and opened his mouth to retort, but the rustling to their right immediately shut the pair up. His eyes hardened, but he motioned for her to follow. She slowly nodded her head and took his hand in hers, interlocking fingers for comfort. His eyes glanced toward her, full of concern for the girl he viewed like a sister.

"Where are we going?" she asked in a hissed whisper.

"I'm taking you back," the boy replied matter-of-factly.

She pulled her hand out of his grasp, freezing in her spot. A look of horror flashed across her face that was met by the boy's look of confusion.

"Why did you stop?"

She vigorously shook her head and took a step back. "I'm not going back."

"You have to."

She shook her head harder, taking another step back while he took one toward her. Her eyes hardened. "I'm not going back."

"You don't have a choice," the boy contradicted, reaching out to grab her wrist. She recoiled and pulled away. The hardened look in her eyes receded and was quickly replaced with panic. Her flight or fight response kicked in and she unfurled her wings.

He rushed toward her, but she knocked him back with a single powerful flap of her wings. She launched herself toward the sky with little control. The rain burned as it pelted against her face, but the pain was minor compared to what she'd just escaped. However, the moment of freedom was short-lived as she was yanked back down toward the earth.

The look of extreme concentration could have easily been confused for constipation as the boy's face turned red. He stuck his tongue out and closed his eyes while his hands remained outstretched, shaking from the effort of pulling the girl down from the sky. The metal tracking chip embedded in her neck proved to be a weakness that she hadn't considered.

She clawed at the back of her neck voraciously, desperate to pry the device out from under her skin. She could feel it just below the surface as it beveled from the boy's pulling pressure. Her scratching led to pain and stained her fingernails with blood, but it was worth it as the device was ripped free of her body.

The boy fell back onto the ground as if he'd lost his ground in a match of tug-o-war. The metallic chip landed on the ground beside him while Crystal soared toward the dark clouds.

It was higher than she'd ever been before, so her lungs took their time adapting to the change in air pressure. For the first time in her life, she was free... but that's where things began to change. The memory shifted into a dream as a large hand scooped her out of the sky and tossed her into a steel cage.

The bars were cold and refused to budge as she tried to pry them apart. She was no longer trapped living the moment through her six-year-old self either as she'd returned to her current age. She desperately sought a way out, but recoiled and pressed her back against the opposite side of the cage as a large face appeared in front of her.

His sinister grin haunted more than just this nightmare as the sadistic light in his eyes only forbode trouble. The wild look in his eyes was matched by the brunet hair sticking up from his head in every direction. The white lab coat draped over his shoulders confirmed his status as the mad doctor.

The doctor clicked his tongue as if chastising her and wagged his finger from the other side of the bars. "You ran off before we could start the next stage of your evolution. As the crown jewel of my collection, everything must be perfect."

The cage was opened and he reached a hand inside. Claws ripped through the black rubber gloves and pulled several feathers from her wings as she narrowly evaded his clutches. A cry of pain escaped her lips, but one of fear followed as he caught her just a moment later.

She was small and helpless, reflecting how she felt whenever trapped in that cursed room that had become her personal hell. The knives and saw displayed along the walls gleamed and reflected the dim lighting. She squirmed and tried to free herself, but was slammed down on the steel table then fastened into place. Rather than leather buckles, chains held her wrists and ankles in place.

"Hush now, my child." The doctor moved the stray hairs that had fallen in front of her eyes. "Everything will be perfect soon enough. We'll pick up right where we left off. You'll be the omega, the end. My greatest masterpiece yet, but first... to carve away the flawed humanity."

He lifted the scalpel into the air, a wicked gleam in his eye reflected onto the blade. Then swiftly, the knife was driven into the center of her chest where the doctor carved out her heart, turning her into the monster she feared in the back of her mind.

———

Her eyes flashed open and she gasped as she shot straight up. The room was pitch black and she swore there was something covering her face, trying to suffocate her. She clawed at the material and gasped to inhale the fresh air once she finally freed herself from the pile of coats she was buried beneath.

Her eyes darted back and forth, trying to orient herself. Her hands clutched her chest and relief washed over her to feel her heart beating against her rib cage. She sighed and rubbed her eyes to clear her mind of the nightmares that had risen from her subconscious. Slowly, she allowed herself to remember how she had arrived in the closet. Step-by-step, she recalled her extraction assignment, the HYDRA agents, and the maze-like symbol that must've been the cause of her resurfaced memories.

Realizing she was still invisible, she reversed the equation; however, she quickly deemed that a mistake as she had yet to check her surroundings to determine if she was alone. She stood and looked out the window to view an empty parking lot. The hallway was also vacant, matching the interior of the closet. She was alone. She released another sigh of relief. She was alone. Something knagged at the back of her mind. She was alone. She froze. She was alone. The captain was nowhere in sight.

"Shit," she swore under her breath as she turned in a circle. She was definitely alone. She continued to mutter under her breath as she scanned the rest of the room, "Fury's just gonna love that I've lost his precious soldier."

Aside from the door torn from its hinges, the fallen coat rack, and the shattered window, there were no other signs of a fight nor of HYDRA's previous presence. There were no new scuffs on the floor and no additional scratches in the paint on the walls. Taking this as a sign that HYDRA had left empty handed, Crystal looked down at her watch.

Despite its simple exterior, the programming within was much more intricate than any old smart watch. She checked the status of the last completed reconfiguration and frowned. The process had been completed; however, several strands of the equation were formed in an unfamiliar pattern. Furthermore, she was unable to detect any large heat signatures in the room aside from her own.

She vented her frustration as she lifted a finger to her mouth and bit on the nail. Reconfiguring the atomic structure of an individual was an extremely delicate process and left little margin for error. Something as small as even changing one strand improperly could lead to drastic consequences. Hopefully she hadn't transformed the supersoldier into a puddle... she'd hate to deliver him to the director in a cup.

She thought about reversing the process; however, with no knowledge of what she'd actually done there was no way to know if that would only make the situation worse. She ultimately came to the conclusion that the only way the situation could grow worse was if HYDRA returned... or her personal demons. She hadn't mentioned it then in the debriefing room, but she knew exactly which group the maze-like symbol belonged. The Labyrinth wasn't exactly discreet with the intricate design; however, they'd successfully remained hidden in the shadows up to this point so she had to give them props. But if she could avoid her past longer, she would. And if she never saw the mark again? Good riddance!

Despite her previous thoughts of being alone, she was wrong. A glimpse of red, white, and blue taunted her from the ground just beyond the mountain of old fur coats. She slowly stood in disbelief and her frown deepened as she realized that she may have just dug herself a hole so deep that would be extremely difficult to climb out.

"This is worse," she said aloud, "so much worse."

She wasn't prone to jinx herself, but in that moment, her internal doubts about HYDRA certainly had. It was impossible to ignore the sound of screeching tires from outside. She muttered several complaints under her breath as the added sound of pounding footsteps coming from the nearby staircase alerted her of the incoming company. HYDRA must've been monitoring the building nearby and her sudden appearance apparently summoned them.

She took one look at the coats that covered the floor and decided that they would have to do. She tossed a few coats aside to reveal her backpack that had also been hidden underneath. It took a lot of cramming, but she managed to fit a single coat inside. If she hadn't been in such a hurry, she might've taken the time to stretch her wings which had been crammed between her back and the wall. Barely satisfied that she had made the interior safer for a fragile package, she bent over and finally faced the problem that she accidentally created.

Fortunately, she hadn't killed the captain in her mishap, but he certainly didn't match his previous stature as he now reached barely an inch in height. Taking extreme precaution, she took the unconscious captain and gently lowered him into her backpack. She slipped the single strapped bag over her head and quickly typed the proper reconfiguration formula into her watch that allowed her to vanish from sight. She then turned toward the window and vaulted over the ledge. With the fresh air rushing around her face, she unfurled all thirteen feet of her regal wingspan and allowed the current to carry her through the air.

She could have returned to S.H.I.E.L.D. and attempted to explain her side of the story; however, she didn't see that ending well. Someone would view the accident created as a weapon opportunity, and she refused to allow that option to become a reality. Besides, she could only see the image of cold steel bars at the forefront of her mind. Fury would cage her for good, seeing as she'd just exposed herself as more than just a potential threat.

Whether it was an accident or not, she'd taken out an avenger. So, rather than fly toward the arranged rendezvous location aboard the helicarrier, she flew in the opposite direction. She needed to lie low until she came up with a solution to correct her little mistake. As her stomach growled, she determined that a fresh change of clothes and a small meal couldn't hurt either. She wasn't ready to give up the brief taste of freedom, not yet, especially after being reminded of how cold and cramped the interior of a cage could feel.

———

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞| Thanks for reading! This chapter is a bit lengthy but it marks the end of act two. How are we feeling so far?